Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



J. YATES. MAIL BAG OATGHER AND DELIVERER.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18,1910. 958,572. Patented May 17, 1910.

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Patented May 17, 1910.

J. YATES. MAIL BAG OATGHBR AND DELIVERER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 18, 1910. I I 958,572. Pa ented May 17, 1910.

m M a 3 BHEETS -SEEET 3 ANDiEW a QRMAM co Fno'ro-Lrmocnwnms. WASHINGTON. n 0v JOSEPH YATES,

OF LAKE POINT, UTAH.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed January 18, 1910. Serial No. 538,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Point, in the county of Tooele and State of Utah, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail bag catchers and deliverers, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and comparatively cheap device of this character whereby mail may be delivered from a moving car to a station or from the station to the car, or simultaneously delivered to and received from the station to the car.

With the above, and other objects in view, which will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement, and in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device constructed in accordance with my invention, showing a mail pouch being delivered to a station or from a moving train and a mail pouch being received by the train from the station. Fig. 2 is a side view of the car showing the cranes down or in their inoperative position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view illustrating the mail pouch engaged by one of the car frames. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the station apparatus. Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 66 of Fig 1. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral l designates an ordinary mail car. The car 1 is provided upon its side with the usual door opening 2, while secured to the outer face of the car adjacent the vertical members of the door frame are the delivery and receiving crane members 3 and 4. The crane members are each identical in construction, except that the yieldable member of the crane 4 points toward the forward end of the car when the same is moving in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings whereby the said yieldable member may receive a mail pouch or sack from a station, while the member 3 is pointed directly opposite so that the said member may deliver the pouch to the station. The reference characters applied to one of the said members may be therefore understood as equally applicable to the second member. Each of the members 3 and 4 are provided with a supporting table 5, the same being constructed of a single blank of suitable metal and having one of its longitudinal edges provided with eyes 6, the same being adapted for the reception of a pintle 7,

- which is secured to the side of the car 1.

The tables 5 are each of a substantially V-shaped formation and are each provided adjacent their outer extremity or apex with a yieldable delivery or receiving crane 8. The crane 8 is preferably constructed of a single piece of suitable yieldable metal and comprises a pair of arms having their inner portions contacting each other and pivot ally connected with the table 5 as at 9, while the opposite ends of the member have their arms diverging away from each other so as to provide what may be termed a flaring mouth. The crane 8 is provided with a handle member 10 which is preferably constructed of a strand of spring wire and the said handle is bent upon itself to provide a U-shaped hand hold 11. The table 5 is provided with an oifset stop member 12, and the free end or arm of the U-shaped hand hold 11 is adapted to contact with this ofl'set 12 so as to retain the crane 8 in a substantially parallel line with the side of the car 2. The table 5 is provided upon its under side with a pair of spaced ears 13, and piv otally connected between these ears is a brace rod 14. The lower or free end of this rod 14 is provided with an offset eye 15 which engages with a substantially U- shaped guide rod 16 which has its ends connected with the sides of the car as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The car 1 is provided with a longitudinally arranged spring catch rod 17, the latter having one of its ends connected with the side of the car and its opposite end adapted to swing away from the car. The catch rod 17 is positioned within a pair of spaced eyes 18 arranged upon the car 1 and positioned adjacent each side of the guide rod 16 and the offset eye 15 of the brace 14. By this arrangement, it will be noted that when the table 5 is swung to a horizontal position upon its pivot 7 the olfset eye 15 of the brace 14 will ride upwardly upon the guide.

rod 16 and will be contacted by the spring catch rod 18 so as to sustain the table in its horizontal position. In order to allow the offset eye 15 to ride smoothly upon the guide rod 16 when passing the spring catch rod 17, I have provided the catch rod 17 with an offset or apron member 19 which is positioned upon the rod 17 between the eyes 18 and which has its depending portion rounded or bent toward the side of the car 1, so that the eye 15 will be free to ride thereon when the device is raised.

The numeral 22 designates the station apparatus. This station apparatus comprises a pair of vertical standards 21 which are spaced a suitable distance away from each other and which are each provided with right angularly extending members 22, the said members having their extremities provided with a pair of spaced arms 23, the latter adapted to engage the outer flaring extremities 24 and 25 of a pair of yieldable longitudinally extending members 26 and 27. The bodies of the members 26 and 27 are adapted to contact with each other, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings and have their ends 24 and 25 spread outwardly away from each other, so as to provide flaring mouths the purposes of which will presently be set forth.

The numeral 26 designates an ordinary mail pouch. This mail pouch is provided with a vertical rod 29, the latter having its lower extremity provided with a spring catch 30 whereby the same is attached to the handle of the mail pouch and the said rod having its extremity provided with a pair of spaced offset bosses or knobs designated by the numerals 31 and 32.

It will be noted by reference to the figures of the drawing that the'station device 22 is of a length approximately equaling the distance between the cranes 3 and 4 upon the car 1, and it will be further noted that the arms 26 and 27 of the said station member 22 are adapted to be positioned above the said crane members 3 and 4.

In operation, we will suppose that the train is going in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings; the mail sack or pouch to be received is positioned between the arms 26 and 27 of the station member 22 at a point farthest away from the track in which the train is moving. The said arms 26 and 27 are adapted to engage the rod 29 between its knobs or ofisets 31 and 32. The pouch 28 to be delivered to the station is positioned upon the crane 3 of the car, the rod 29 being held by the yieldable arms of said crane below the knob member 32. It will be obvious that as the train moves in the direction of the arrow the mail pouch positioned upon the station 22 will be received between the arms of the crane member 3 and the pouch positioned upon the crane member 5 will be received between the arms 26 and 27 of the station member 22.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be noted that I have provided a comparatively simple, cheap and thoroughly efiective delivery and receiving means for mail pouches, it being obvious that when the devices are not in use, the same can be readily folded against the sides of the car, and it will be further obvious that when the mail received between the yieldable arms of the crane 3 is to be taken into the car the spring catch 11 of the arm 10 is released from its engagement with the ofi'set 12 when the said members can be rotated upon their pivots 9 and the mail pouches easily extracted therefrom, and it is to be further understood that while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the improvement, as it now appears to me, minor details of construction within the scope of the following claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, a station member, said station member comprising a pair of resilient arms, said arms having their ends diverging away from each other and their bodies contacting and car members positioned adjacent the doorway of the car, each of said car members comprising a hinged shelf having yieldable delivery and receiving cranes, said cranes adapted to be positioned directly beneath the station member, and mail bags provided with detachable members having spaced enlargements whereby one of said mail bags may be delivered to the station member and one received by the crane upon the car member.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, a station member, said station member being provided with a pair of resilient arms, the ends of said arms being curved away from each other and the body of the arms normally contacting each other, a car, a mail pouch receiving and a mail pouch delivering member upon the car, each of said members comprising a pivoted table, a brace member connected with the table, a guide rod for the brace member, a spring catch for the brace member, yieldable delivery and receiving cranes upon the table, each of said cranes comprising a pivoted member provided with outwardly extending forked arms and a catch upon the table to retain the arms in their receiving or delivery position.

3. In combination with a stationary member comprising a pair of yieldable arms having their bodies contacting and their ends spaced away from each other, of a car,

said car being provided adjacent its doorway with a delivery and a receiving crane, each of said cranes comprising a table pivotally connected with the car, a brace arm connected with the table, said brace arm having one of its ends provided with an eye, a guide rod for the eye, a spring catch upon the car adapted to contact with the eye of the brace, an operating rod for the catch, cranes upon the table, each of said cranes comprising yieldable arms having their bodies contacting and their ends diverging away from each other, a spring handle for the cranes, and an ofiset upon the table' adapted to contact the spring handle to sustain the cranes in their delivery or receiving position.

4;. In combination with receiving and delivery means of the class set forth, of a mail bag support, said support comprising a catch adapted to engage the mail pouch, and said support further comprising a rod member provided with spaced ofiset portions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH YATES.

Witnesses:

VERN CLUFF,

WM. G. YATES. 

